Water polo champ guilty of baby's murder

Former water polo champion Keli Lane has been refused bail after a jury found her guilty of murdering her newborn baby 14 years ago.

In refusing to continue her bail, Justice Anthony Whealy said he didn't want to give Lane false hope as the crime she had been found guilty of carried a substantial sentence.

But, he said, he felt "great sympathy" for Lane, who collapsed with a thud on the dock floor after the guilty verdict was read out.

The judge temporarily adjourned the proceedings while paramedics attended to her.

When the NSW Supreme Court jury of six men and six women returned to court to be discharged by the judge, Lane did not stand up for them as she had done every day of her lengthy trial.

The 35-year-old had pleaded not guilty to murdering two-day old Tegan Lane on September 14, 1996, after they left Sydney's Auburn hospital.

Lane told police she handed over Tegan to the baby's father, a man with whom she said she had a brief and secret affair.

But the crown contended the named father, Andrew Morris or Andrew Norris, was a fictitious person and she murdered the infant as she did not want the responsibility of a child.

Crown prosecutor Mark Tedeschi QC contended that Lane was motivated by her Olympic ambitions and also wanted to continue her active social and sex life.

Before the birth of Lane's second child Tegan, she secretly adopted out her first baby and later did the same with her third infant.

The jury also found Lane guilty of three counts of making a false statement on oath in relation to documents dealing with her adopting out the two other babies.

Sentencing submissions were set down for February 25.

- AAP